The invention relates generally to an improved pressure equalized external insulation and finish system used in the building and construction industry. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved pressure equalized external insulation and finish system that additionally provides a cavity or compartment to equalize the pressure differential between the interior sheathing of a building structure and the outside environment, and to facilitate the drainage of water from the internal portions of building structures.
Modern techniques for constructing the walls of buildings may take numerous forms. Among these is two-by-four (2xc3x974) framed construction. As is well known in the relevant art, conventional 2xc3x974 wall construction begins with framing of the walls with wood or steel members. These wood or steel members typically have nominal dimensions of 2xe2x80x3xc3x974xe2x80x3 and are, therefore, called xe2x80x9ctwo-by-fourxe2x80x9d or 2xc3x974. These 2xc3x974s are oriented vertically and spaced at intervals generally either 16xe2x80x3 or 24xe2x80x3 and are each connected at the top and bottom to similar members horizontally oriented. This structure is referred to in the relevant art as a xe2x80x9cframedxe2x80x9d wall.
Traditionally, a sheet of sheathing such as plywood or other material is then often applied to the exterior of the framed wall, but may not be required in all circumstances. Such requirements are typically established by governmental building codes. A weather barrier may then be applied to the exterior of the sheathing, with an external wall covering then being applied directly over the air/weather barrier.
Any one of numerous materials may be used for the external wall covering of building structures such as brick, stucco, vinyl or aluminum siding, wood, exterior insulation and finish systems (EIFS), and the like. A sheet of gypsum board or drywall is typically applied to the interior surface of the framed wall toward the living area.
When completed, the building structure is designed to prevent the flow of water and moisture from the external environment into the building structure. If a breach or void, such as openings or cracks exist in the exterior finish, then wind loads can potentially act as the driving mechanism to force water through the cracks or openings in the exterior finish, a condition which is to be avoided.
If any such water or moisture should penetrate the exterior finish, the air/weather barrier mentioned above serves as an additional obstacle to the intrusion of such water or other elements onto the sheathing material and into the wall. If water is permitted to flow through the air/weather barrier and onto the sheathing material, the water will typically remain trapped between the air/weather barrier and the sheathing material, which may result in speedy deterioration of the sheathing material, thus requiring replacement.
Moreover, moisture from the environment may become trapped between the exterior finish and the air/weather barrier. In this circumstance, if the, air/weather barrier contains significant voids, cuts, gaps, etc., whether incurred during construction or due to settling of the structure, any such moisture may find its way through the opening in the air/weather barrier, onto the sheathing material, and eventually into the wall with the deleterious effects described above. Additionally, such water can freeze during the winter months resulting in freeze-thaw cycle-related damage to the structure. Moreover, such trapped moisture can reduce the wall system components"" serviceability and service life. Thus, it is desired, as much as possible, to eliminate moisture entrapment between the exterior wall covering and the air/weather barrier and to prevent the formation of breaches in the air/weather barrier.
There have been several attempts in the prior art to overcome the problem of water or moisture intrusion into the exterior wall covering from the outside environment.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,852 to Edgar et al. provides an exterior insulation and finish system for building structures comprising an air barrier, an air-permeable insulation layer, and an exterior finish. The air-permeable insulation layer is disposed between the air barrier and the exterior finish. A portion of the air-permeable insulation layer is exposed to permit air to flow into and out of the insulation layer to equalize the pressure across the exterior finish. It is taught that a significant pressure differential across the exterior finish will not exist and, therefore, no water will be forced through the exterior finish into the insulation.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,363,621 and 5,392,578 both to Kroll et al., provide an insulative wall cladding system having a plurality of interconnecting air pressure and moisture vent channels. The pressure and moisture vent channels are created by placing a plurality of insulation boards having 45 degree angle edges in adjacent contact to each other. As a consequence of the adjacent relationship with the other insulation boards, the plurality of channels inter-connect with each other and, via a lower vent, communicate with the outside atmosphere. The interconnecting channels prevent the formation of an air pressure differential between the outside atmosphere and the inside atmosphere in a cavity of the cladding.
Although the pressure equalized systems of the prior art described hereinabove, provide a means to equalize pressure across the exterior finish, none of the references provide for compartments or cavities between the building substrate or air/weather barrier-coated building substrate and the exterior finish, which equalize the pressure across the exterior finish. Therefore, there still remains a great need in the art for improved pressure equalized exterior wall systems.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an exterior insulation and finish system incorporating a pressure equalizing cavity or compartment.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an exterior insulation and finish system incorporating a water and moisture drainage cavity.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a process for the installation of an exterior insulation and finish system incorporating a pressure equalizing and a water and moisture drainage cavity.
These and other objects, which shall become apparent from the specification which follows, are accomplished by the invention as hereinafter described and claimed.
The present invention, therefore, provides a pressure equalizing compartment for building structures comprising: an inner member having oppositely facing inner and outer surfaces and having a top and bottom edge, said outer surface substantially uniformly coated with an air/weather barrier; a closure member horizontally disposed on a portion said outer surface of said inner member; spaced apart closure members contacting said outer surface of said coated inner member and extending vertically along said inner member and in contact with a portion of said horizontally disposed closure member, a space being defined between said spaced closure members and said horizontally disposed closure member; a cavity forming means disposed in said space defined by said closure members, and substantially contacting said air/weather barrier; and an outer member having oppositely facing inner and outer surfaces disposed substantially over said cavity forming means within said space defined by said closure members to form a compartment; wherein said compartment having an air and moisture vent communicating to the outside environment.
The present invention also provides a pressure equalizing exterior insulation and finish for building structures comprising: at least one pressure equalizing compartment comprising: an inner member having oppositely facing inner and outer surfaces and having a top and bottom edge, said outer surface substantially uniformly coated with an air/weather barrier; a closure member horizontally disposed on a portion said outer surface of said inner member; spaced apart closure members contacting said outer surface of said coated inner member and extending vertically along said inner member and in contact with a portion of said horizontally disposed closure member, a space being defined between said spaced closure members and said horizontally disposed closure member; a cavity forming means disposed in said space defined by said closure members, and substantially contacting said air/weather barrier; and an outer member having oppositely facing inner and outer surfaces disposed substantially over said cavity forming means within said space defined by said closure members to form a compartment; wherein said compartment has an air and moisture vent communicating to the outside environment; and an exterior finish applied to said outer surface of said outer member.
The present invention also provides a pressure equalized building wall comprising: a substrate having oppositely facing inner and outer surfaces and having top and bottom edges; and at least one pressure equalizing compartment, said compartment comprising: an air/weather barrier having opposite facing inner and outer surfaces, wherein said inner surfaces is in contact with said outer surface of said substrate; a closure member horizontally disposed on a portion said outer surface of said inner member; spaced apart closure members contacting said outer surface of said coated inner member and extending vertically along said inner member and in contact with a portion of said horizontally disposed closure member, a space being defined between said at least two spaced closure members and said horizontally disposed closure member; a cavity forming means disposed in said space defined by said closure members, and substantially contacting said air/weather barrier; and an outer member having oppositely facing inner and outer surfaces disposed substantially over said cavity forming means within said space defined by said closure members to form a compartment; and wherein said compartment has an air and moisture vent communicating to the outside environment.
In another embodiment, the pressure equalized building wall further comprises an exterior finish applied to said outer surface of said outer member.
The present invention further provides a process for installing a pressure equalized building wall comprising: providing an inner member having an upper edge and lower edge and oppositely facing inner and outer surfaces; applying an air/weather barrier substantially uniformly over the outer surface of said inner member; attaching a closure member on said outer surface of said inner member in a substantially horizontal direction; attaching spaced apart closure members to said outer surface of said inner member, wherein said spaced apart closure members are extending vertically along said inner member and in contact with a portion of said horizontally disposed closure member, a space being defined between said spaced closure members and said horizontally disposed closure member; disposing a cavity forming means on the outer surface of the air/weather barrier within the spaced defined between said closure members; and disposing an outer member having an inner surface and an outer surface substantially over the cavity forming means within the space between said closure members.
In another embodiment, the process for installing a pressure equalized building wall further comprises applying an exterior finish to the outer surface of the outer member.